Diversity of Animals

These flashcards represent key vocabulary terms and their definitions from the lecture notes on the diversity of animals.

Eukaryotic

Organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and other organelles enclosed within membranes.

Multicellular

Organisms composed of many cells that are specialized for different functions.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that cannot produce their own food and rely on consuming other organisms.

Motile

Capable of movement; typically used to describe animals that can move on their own.

Tissue

A collection of similar cells that have a common embryonic origin and perform a specific function.

Zygote

The initial cell formed when two gametes unite during fertilization.

Diploblasts

Organisms that develop two embryonic germ layers: ectoderm and endoderm.

Triploblasts

Organisms that develop three embryonic germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm.

Coelom

An internal body cavity that is often lined with mesoderm tissue.

Protostomes

Organisms in which the mouth develops from the primary embryonic opening.

Deuterostomes

Organisms in which the anus develops from the primary embryonic opening.

Amniotic membranes

Membranes that protect eggs in reptiles and mammals, allowing survival in terrestrial environments.

Endothermic

Organisms that can regulate their body temperature internally.

Monotremes

Egg-laying mammals, such as the platypus, that possess mammary glands.

Marsupials

Mammals that carry their young in pouches, such as kangaroos and koalas.

Eutherians

Also known as placental mammals, they bear live young that are nourished before birth through a complex placenta.

Homologous structures

Anatomical features that share a common ancestry, indicating evolutionary relationships.

Metamorphosis

A developmental process in which an organism transforms from an immature form to an adult form.